1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the sport of ice fishing and more particularly to equipment used in the sport for maintaining holes in the ice while simultaneously storing live bait over a period of time.
2. Description of the prior art
Ice fishing is a popular winter sport in many geographical regions. In the most common and well known form of the sport each fisherman has his own shack that is taken out on the ice. The shack is heated and stocked with provisions so that the angler will be comfortable during his time on the ice. Since the shacks are not easily moved they tend to remain in the same spot for the entire season.
Fishing from the shack is done through a hole drilled or chipped through the ice either by hand or with a power tool. In either event, when the ice reaches a thickness of six or more inches creating a hole requires substantial hard work and is very time consuming. As a practical matter, the hole is made through an opening in the floor of the shack designed for that purpose. When the heat is turned off in the shack, subfreezing temperatures soon cause the water to freeze and close the hole. This is particularly true where the shack is only used on the weekend.
In an effort to eliminate the work and time involved before the fisherman can drop his hook into the water, a number of devices have been suggested to keep the hole ice free when not being fished. By way of example, the following U.S. Patents show different prior art attempts to prevent this icing condition: U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,906 issued Mar. 27, 1990 to Schemers et al, relates to a method and apparatus using an inflatable bladder for maintaining a hole open in outdoor ice atop a body of water, the device includes a top plug with an air tube and valve, an elongated bladder extending down from the plug, and radially spaced apart longitudinal cords in the bladder which constrain elongated growth but enable diameter growth of the bladder. U.S. Pat. No. 4,845,875 issued Jul. 11, 1989 to Norwick discloses an inflatable apparatus for temporarily plugging holes in an ice layer. The inflatable device includes a hollow, generally cylindrical tubular assembly with an inflatable bladder forming the core, and having a plurality of discrete layers enclosing the inflatable core which include a foam liner enclosing the bladder and an outer sleeve disposed over and firmly enclosing the foam liner and inflatable bladder. U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,909 issued Aug. 9, 1988 to Christian et al shows an ice hole fishing plug that includes a hollow elongated tubular member, constructed of flexible resilient material and including an inlet-outlet for admitting and discharging fluid under pressure, adapted to be placed in a hole in a layer of ice so that the top and bottom ends extend upwardly and downwardly beyond the layer of ice such that, when inflated, the top and bottom ends expand to seal the hole and to retain the hollow tubular member as an easily removable plug. U.S. Pat. No. 4,747,226 issued May 31, 1988 to Todd relates to a fishing assembly adapted to prevent an ice hole from freezing over. The fishing assembly, includes, a plastic tubular elongated sleeve for placement inside the ice hole and a fiat, annular flange which extends radially outward from the sleeve, for retaining the fishing assembly in position inside the ice hole. U.S. Pat. No. 4,438,757 issued Mar. 27, 1984 to Anderson discloses a device for reopening a hole in an ice bound water source, where a tubular member is inserted into the hole and becomes frozen in place. The ice block that forms in the interior region of the tubular member can be ejected. The tubular member is heated by a fluid circulating and heating system which forces heated fluid between the walls of the tubular member. The heated fluid allows for the release of the ice block and dislodgment of the entire unit from the frozen surface of the water supply. There continues to exist, however, the need for a simple, reliable and inexpensive means for maintaining an ice fishing hole and storing live bait under subfreezing conditions.